Wichita eagle., 1887-06-12
WICHITA AND HER RAILWAYS.
Where They Reach and How They Will
Benefit Us.

WICHITA AND HER RAILWAYS.
Where They Reach and How They Will
Benefit Us.
There are few people in Wichita today
who realize the great changes that are to be
wrought in our commercial relations.
Owing to the natural advantages of our
location in this great valley. This city
has nearly kept pace with the magnificent
development of the great agricultural
country naturally tributary to it. Compel
ing lines of raiiraod to the east furnished
good market for our products. While the
great Santa Fee system to the mountains,
gave us market in that direction. These
for time seemed to be all that this county
and this city needed TO render our pros
perity permanent The trade of the
mountain states west of us for
time furnished market for
fruits, oats, corn, butter, proultry and
eggs and other farm products until it
seemed at times an unlimited demand ex
listed in that direction But the unprece-
denied development of western Kansas
more than kept pace with the demand in
that direction. The southern markets
reached by way of st. Louis, for grain
have been factor that added ne little to
our prosperity; Kansas City and Chicago
have furnished us a market for cattle and
hogs, the advantages of which were not
much excelled by sections of country a
long distance east of here. The shipment
of stock from this country in times gone by
have been immense. This particular
branch of our trade has been carried
principally over the Santa Fe road. And
the accommodations of that road, and its
reasonable charges on that class of freight
is the one particular act. of that road that
made it for years the great favorite of the
people of the southwest, and prevented any
movement on the part of the people to in
vite the building of any competing lines.
The great problem. the solution of which
the best minds of this great state have
given attention, has been to tell what
would be the result when the rapid develop
ment should produce more than was de-
handed by local markets, The shipment
of wheat to the eastern seaboard by all
rail, was demonstrated in the seventies to |
be impracticable. That problem is now
being solved by the railroad companies and
the people. The surplus products of this
country can be exported to Euro
pean markets by way of the
Gulf of Mexico, at reduced |
cost of transportation that will enable this
great southwest to successfully compete
with any other people on earth in the
markets of the world. 1t seems strange to
hear our people saying on the streets that
we now have direct communication, all |
rail, with Galveston. A new trade route is |
opened that brings Wichita hundreds of |
miles nearer the sea. 1t will be some time
before we become accustomed to these new
order of things, and appreciate the great
advantages to the people of this new route.
But only short time will elapse when its |
influence will be felt in all our avenues of |
trade. There will be a new commercial |
life and activity that viii do more
to forward Wichita on the road
to commercial greatness than any other one
thing that has ever taken place. Already
are shrewd operators in produce making
arrangements here and at Galveston to take
part in this trade that will yet be the
great golden harvest for Wichita and all
Western Kansas.
This is not only trade with southern
cities, but it is new artery of trade
through which millions of bushels of grain
will reach eastern markets The country
around this city that is already the greatest
pork producing section in the west, will
find over this route market for millions
of barrels of pork in the years to come
Great things are indeed in store for this
people.